FORMER Wales footballer and TV personality Robbie Savage yesterday paid an emotional tribute to his dad Colin, who has died from a rare brain condition.

The player was at Colin Savage’s bedside as he lost his battle with Pick’s disease, a form of Alzheimer’s, early on Saturday.

It’s understood the 64-year-old from Bradley, Wrexham, had developed pneumonia.

Robbie has now vowed to raise cash for research into the disease. And he’s praised the care his dad was given at Wrexham Maelor Hospital’s Bedwen ward

The former factory manager, who slipped into a coma on Thursday, had previously been nursed at home by Robbie’s mum Val.

Ex-Strictly Come Dancing contestant Robbie, 37, had battled through his grief to present his Radio 5 Live football phone-in show, before taking to Twitter to reveal the sad news.

He tweeted: “I’m devastated to tell you that at 2 o’clock this morning my hero, my father and my best friend lost his life he was so brave x

“Goodnight, God bless dad. You’ll be sadly missed we all love you x.”

Robbie added: “We were with him, he battled for so long, we as a family have lost a great man, we will miss him so, so much. He never complained once.

“It’s such a cruel disease, we’ve lost our idol, hopefully he will be looking down on us and we can continue to make him proud.”

Explaining his decision to still host his show, Robbie said: “It was hard for me today but dad would have wanted me to work, he was a grafter.

“I'm now more determined to raise money for @AlzSocSWales (Alzheimer’s Society, Wales). And thank you to all nurses for looking after dad.”

Robbie’s brother Jonathan added: “I think if Robbie and myself turn out to be great dads, it’s only because we had the greatest person to learn from.”

As he revealed the news of his father’s death, Robbie recalled how his father supported him in his early footballing career, saying “Dad would work from 7 til 5 then miss dinner to take me to Crewe, get home at 10, would never moan. Didn't miss a game for 15 years.”

Robbie also said that his father’s death would give back his mum Val.

“When dad got Alzheimer's we lost him, also in a way lost mum for a while, as dad was her life and she cared for him 24/7,” tweeted Robbie. “She wouldn't put him in care, so she had no life, she was confined to our house. She idolised him but now he's gone, mum gets her life back and we are going to look after her so well.”

Robbie had sent out more than a dozen messages since Thursday on his dad, a former factory manager.

He tweeted: “I love my dad so much !!! Life is so unfair! Without my dad who is my hero I wouldn’t have been able to achieve what I did.

“If you’re with your dad now give him a kiss and tell him you love him, they won’t be here for ever.”

Other Twitter users offered their sympathy on the website.

Summing up the feelings of many observers, a Twitterer called Paul, using the name DJMan_Utd72, wrote: “Hope I speak for all genuine football fans regardless of their loyalties when I say I’m sorry to hear about your dad #RIP”.